One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is celebrating with my husband and three girls. We love Christmas movies, drink chocolate milk and eat Christmas tree cakes, and gawk at the blow up animals on the corner every year- it never gets old. But along with these basic tiny celebrations have come a list of traditions that we can’t wait to enjoy!
Gingerbread Houses
Several years ago I was attending a craft show at my church and found Forever Gingerbread houses. These little houses come in a few shapes and sizes, are made of wood, and wash off at the end of the season! Each year we gather around with a table full of candy and icing and create tasty masterpieces. I display them in my china cabinet, candy and all, then we take them out and wash them off at the end of the season.
Decorating Christmas cookies
My mom made the same butter cookie with icing for the holidays. We’d have trees at Christmas, hearts at Valentine’s Day, and pumpkins at Halloween. They felt like a holiday staple and when my girls were born, I wanted them to look forward to the cookies just as I had with my mom. We love to bake the cookies, then decorate them with as many colored sprinkles as we can find.
This year, Brian’s grandmother joined us to decorate! It was the first time in 90 years that she had ever decorated a cookie!
Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
I have always loved looking at Christmas lights, but found that the girls were often bored with driving around for any long amount of time. A few years ago we changed the plan. We printed a Christmas light scavenger hunt off Pinterest, handed the girls clipboards, pens, and flashlights, and headed out. The girls love looking for different lights and blow ups and Brian and I get to enjoy the lights.
Here are a few great hunts that you can use next year! This one has a lot of variety but all of them are very findable. This one is great for younger kids but it includes the pictures with the words.
Christmas tree light Picture
Every year I place our girls near the Christmas tree and capture them in the ambiance of the twinkle lights. I love seeing them change and grow in the twinkle of the holiday fun. I love having the past years to look back on and I love the distinct Christmas-ness of the images. It makes my heart happy.
Our church’s candlelight service
Our church offers many opportunities to celebrate during the Christmas season, but my favorite is the Christmas Eve candlelight service. As the congregation fills the pews and the candlelight spreads throughout the room, it is a beautiful reminder of Jesus coming from Heaven and giving us the opportunity for true peace through our relationship with Him. He is the Light and the reason we celebrate each December and to me, nothing is more tangible than seeing the light spread and grow throughout our church’s sanctuary.
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